Month: December 2022

Time and Motion. He Is Heading To Boulder. Crude Oil. Brittney For A Terrorist. The Intelligence Of Things.

I am sure that Delta and Southwest Airlines, as well as other carriers, have spent millions of dollars trying to figure out the best way to board passengers. Delta’s process is as good as any with hassle-free boarding depending on your SkyMiles status. As we are in the midst of the holiday travel season, I can only hope a time and motion engineer can really figure out how to best board an airliner.

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I am limited with knowledge of supply-side economics, but I do wonder why economists (and the media) go bonkers when oil prices exceed $100 a barrel. Now that oil prices have dropped below $75 a barrel, the lowest price point in a year, where are all the pundits and economists commenting on how this plunge can either stymie or fuel the ever-pending recession?

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I am conflicted with the release of Brittney Griner. Do not misinterpret my concern for her and her family, but I just have a big problem with the ramification of Griner being caught by the Russians with what they deemed as illegal drugs. The ramification: the United States finally negotiated her release last Thursday in a prisoner swap. The United States gets Griner back, but in turn must release Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer, nicknamed the “Merchant of Death.” Bout was involved with international arms trafficking, conspiring to kill Americans, and collaborating with various terrorist organizations. Again, I am happy for Griner and her family, but does this prisoner swap set a disturbing precedent? What about Paul Whelan, the former United States Marine being held by the Russians for four years?

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Headline of the Week: “Florida man says he killed an aggressive iguana — and claims Stand Your Ground defense.” Yes, only in Florida.

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I do not blame Deion Sanders for leaving Jackson State University for the head coaching position at the University of Colorado. Cash is king and after three years, Sanders decided that he needed to take the more lucrative job in Boulder. The loser in this transaction is Jackson State University. Sanders instilled a high level of confidence, performance, and joy into the JSU program, one of many Historically Black College or University (HBCU) programs that produced former NFL stars including Walter Payton, Jerry Rice, and Michael Strahan. It is a shame that JSU could not persuade Sanders to stay with their program, but as we all know, a head coach only gets promoted by taking a bigger/better job. Here is hoping that JSU can onboard a significant head coach that can continue the success of former coach Deion Sanders.

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I am very interested and excited to see what artificial intelligence (AI) is going to bring to the healthcare world. Beyond drug discovery and predicting outcomes of clinical trials, the one area of AI I feel will be a game-changer is medical imagery, where computer vision algorithms can be used to spot early warning signs of disease using MRI scans. I watched my first and never again episode of Chicago Med where they showed AI being used during surgery. Yes, it was a TV show, but the scene was very interesting with the use of AI during a surgical procedure. AI has already been used successfully to detect and treat neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. The use of AI has tremendous upside and only time will tell how far the technology will take us in the healthcare world.

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I’m not sure that 37-year-old football (soccer) superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has yet to agree to a $180 million per year deal with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassar. He is 37 years old and at the backside of his career. Cristiano: I would grab that pen and sign quickly.

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Heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of journalist Grant Wahl. Wahl, one of the world’s preeminent soccer journalists, collapsed while covering the Argentina-Netherlands World Cup match on Friday. RIP Grant Wahl.

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Family. There are many ways to describe the families you interact with…but this take from Sebastian Maniscalco is priceless.

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Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and Have A Funday Sunday!

Random Takes For The 1st Sunday Of December.

• Today is day 284 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Day 284 with no end in sight and a reported 13,000 Ukrainian soldiers have lost their lives. The Russians have set a precedent that follows the path of other dictators and their never-ending objective of dominance. Disturbing to say the least.
• We looked in awe at the B-2 Stealth Bomber when it was unveiled many years ago. Now the United States Air Force, at a cost of $750 million each, has introduced the B-21, an upgraded version of the B-2 that can deliver both conventional and nuclear weapons around the world using long-range and mid-air refueling capabilities. An aircraft we hope is never put to use.

• The four-day work week has become en vogue. Four days at ten hours-a-day seems a bit strange as the majority of the workforce seems to want less work hours, but with more pay.
• Puzzling: DoorDash cut 1,250 of their corporate staff last Wednesday. I assume that DoorDash will continue its business operations as normal. If they can lose 1,250 employees in one cut, what were those 1,250 employees doing in the first place?
• The flu season is here with many of my friends and family dealing with what to do next to feel better. Maybe we should revert to the family of Sebastian Maniscalco and their way of handling illness?

• Parents, especially fathers (and grandfathers), are usually very protective of our kids, especially our daughters. After posting about my granddaughter and her escapades at her school, I remembered this eye-opening scene from Den of Thieves a few years ago. Yes, the writers and 50 Cent carry this too far, or do they? Note: there is strong/adult language in this video.

• Along with most of us, I am a big supporter of first responders. Often taken for granted, first responders put their lives and health on the line every day to help and assist with emergencies, criminal activity, and the sick and wounded. On Thursday of last week, the union representing 15,000 Minnesota nurses announced that their health care workers will strike for the second time this year. Listing a number of unfair labor practices, with their number one issue being staffing shortages, the nurses have simply had enough. Timing is obviously a big concern for hospitals and other care facilities, with all of them dealing with a RSV surge, the flu season, and continued Covid cases. A very tough situation that could turn into a sad situation for many.
• At times we think that Covid and its variants are under control – and then we read about China and the high levels of contraction in that massive country. It is all happening again in the U.S. as California is reaching medium levels of Covid infections and is considering an indoor mask mandate again. Please, no.
• What a fantastic run for the USA in the World Cup. The second youngest team in the tournament made us proud.

• Speaking of soccer, the world awaits the fate of Pele, who is now in a hospice facility in Brazil. The Brazilian showed the rest of the world that there was a path to greatness on and off the field. I do not need to list all the competitive accomplishments of Pele…you will be seeing and listening to a great deal of tributes to this man. His level of celebrity was bar none, even to the point that in 1967, his presence with his club team playing in Nigeria stopped a civil war. Prayers to Pele.
• The Headline of the Week: New York City to pay more than six figures for ‘Rat Pack’ leader with a ‘killer instinct’. Just another new hire in NYC, with this new position paying the Director of Rodent Mitigation $170,000 annually. Any questions?
• A very happy half-century birthday to C.A. I am sure last night’s celebration will continue for a few days!

Adios, pay it forward, be safe, and have a Funday Sunday.